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UNI and IndustriALL demand end to poverty wages in Cambodia

UNI Global Union and IndustriALL Global Union have delivered a message to the Cambodia Mission in Geneva demanding an end to poverty wages in the Asian country’s garment industry.

Representatives from the two unions presented a letter to the Cambodian Prime Minister urging him to enact an immediate and substantial rise to the minimum wage so that garment workers can live with dignity.

Three global unions, representing millions of workers around the world, are mobilizing to back Cambodian garment unions’ demands for higher wages.

IndustriALL Global Union, UNI Global Union and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) joined Cambodian garment workers in a day of action calling for a rise in the minimum wage from US$100 to US$177.

In early October, the Labour Advisory Committee (LAC) in Cambodia is set to announce a new minimum wage for workers in the garment, textile and footwear industry, which generates US$5 billion in revenue for the country.

The letter, signed by the general secretaries of the three global unions, said, “A living wage is not only necessary for workers to live with dignity but it is also essential for the long term sustainability of the industry. Indeed, that is why some international apparel brands have indicated their support for a higher minimum wage. Cambodia will simply not move forward if the economic strategy is to continue to rely on a low wage system.

“When the government meets in October to review the minimum wage, this is a key opportunity to improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of workers, and to secure a stable future for the whole industry. We seek your Government’s support to raise the minimum wage now.”

The Korean Health and Medical Workers Union showed their support for Cambodian garment workers with solidarity photos. Click here to see more.